Good Intentions
by Duderman
Summary: Cloud battles Rufus on the top of ShinRa HQ. He fights Rufus as well as himself. Rated:T, R&R, thanks.


I do not own Final Fantasy 7.

A quick one-shot, based on events that took place in the game... everything said by Rufus and Cloud are taken directly from the game's script.

Enjoy.

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"Why do you want to fight me?"

These words rang through Cloud's mind as he eyed his opponent.

He thought about those words as he positioned himself into his familiar battle stance, sword at hand.

_Right leg in front, left in the back… _

This provided grip, he would stand his ground firmly should his enemy try to knock him over. He would easily be able to dodge an attack by simply turning on his heel and leaping to the side with his right leg, landing with his left, rather than having to dive to the side if he would be standing normally.

It was small things like this that made Cloud who he was. It kept him alive. And it was the lack of small things like this from others that made them easy targets.

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"Why do you want to fight me?"

These words rang through Cloud's mind as he eyed his opponent.

Truth be told, he didn't 'want' to fight anyone, really…

_Right hand grips the upper part of the handle, left grips the bottom… _

Cloud didn't usually restrict himself to being 'right' or 'left-handed', his left and right arms both had an equal amount of strength, dexterity and coordination; using one of them almost exclusively seemed foolish, a waste. It was weakness. But yet, he felt compelled to place his right hand up top… meaning his right arm would be most pressured when striking a foe. It would be the arm used for hurting. Killing.

It was small things like this that made Cloud hate himself and others.

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"Why do you want to fight me?"

These words rang through Cloud's mind as he eyed his opponent.

He didn't want to fight anyone, he was being forced to... he was being forced to by promises made long ago with childhood friends. He was being forced to by idiotic agreements to become a silly flower girl's bodyguard… He was being forced to by people he disliked… but the only people he couldn't bring himself to kill…

"_Hold sword at waist height, covering the length of the torso… Make sure the hilt is covering the inside of the left hip, keep back turned to the right at a 90 degree angle..."_

This way the blade would be held to the left of his person, making attacks from the left direction blockable, and attacks from the right direction dodgeable. But his right shoulder had become bruised and battered due to repeated assaults, mainly due to the fact that is was exposed almost the entire time during each battle.

It was small things like this that made Cloud want to stop fighting.

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"Why do you want to fight me?"

These words rang through Cloud's mind as he eyed his opponent.

What would he gain from fighting this battle? Any of these battles? The goodwill of

the planet had nothing to do with him… if he dies, he dies. So be it. No need to try to postpone the undeniable.

"_Never, not ever, take your eyes__ off of your opponent. Read the face, the eyes, body language. Now is the time to predict attacks, sudden, unexpected moves. Stay alert and ready."_

Instinct and procedure were some of the most powerful weapons in Cloud's arsenal. His procedure brought him far in his battles, repeating the same method over and over, mastering it. Instinct allowed him to act when others could not… but instinct was also the thing people acted upon outside of battle. Instinct inspired people do to dumb, spontaneous things; things that would either be the death of them, or make a fool out of them.

It was small things like this that made Cloud want to associate himself with others less; made him fear the day he became like them by acting on instinct.

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"Why do you want to fight me?" Rufus Shinra asked.

These words rang through Cloud's mind as he eyed his opponent.

The answer was simple…

"You want the Promised Land and Sephiroth."

"That's right" Rufus replied. "Did you know Sephiroth was an ancient?"

The words that followed meant nothing…

_Right leg in front, left in the back… _

Sephiroth was his, his to take revenge upon, revenge for taking away everything that meant anything to him.

_Right hand grips the upper part of the handle, left grips the bottom… _

He couldn't let Rufus get to Sephiroth before him… he couldn't…

Tears began to well up inside him.

"_Hold sword at waist height, covering the length of the torso… Make sure the hilt is covering the inside of the left hip, keep back turned to the right at a 90 degree angle..."_

"I DON'T CARE!" Cloud yelled, at the utmost top of his lunges.

"I can't let either you or Sephiroth have the Promised Land!"

But is this how he truly felt…?

No. He lied to himself again. As he always did.

"_Never, not ever, take your eyes off of your opponent. Read the face, the eyes, body language. Now is the time to predict attacks, sudden, unexpected moves. Stay alert and ready."_

Cloud faced Rufus…

"I see… I guess we won't be allies." Rufus said, this time with finality in his voice.

Cloud sensed it coming before it came.

A bullet, aimed for the chest… _blocked_

A dark blur, a lunge at Cloud's head… _dodged_

The dark hound was thrown back, but soon got to its feet and regrouped itself beside its master. Rufus smiled slightly as he loaded his gun, preparing for the battle that would follow… the battle Cloud had been preparing for for all this time…

_And this is why you will lose, Rufus. _

Cloud managed to feel one last thing before he drew his sword up to his head and launched himself in air, holding his sword back, preparing for his first, ground shattering blow.

Confidence, he was confident he could win.

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My name is Cloud Strife… and I do not truly feel this way…

Give me some time, and I promise I can change…

I don't hate them, I don't hate anyone.

I am scared.

I'm scared of failing: scared of facing who I really am…

**A failure**** with no number to show for it…**


End file.
